Auburn Football: What Quan Bray's Suspension Means vs. Arkansas

If Auburn is going to find the cure for its offensive woes, facing off against the Arkansas Razorbacks may be it.

The Hogs rank 120th of 124 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams so far this season in total defense after giving up an average of 510.2 yards per game during the first month of the season, 349.4 of which were through the air.

John Reed-US PRESSWIRE

Auburn WR Quan Bray

That bodes well for an Auburn passing attack that's looking to get on track. But the Tigers will be without a key piece, as wide receiver Quan Bray has been suspended for the game by head coach Gene Chizik for his arrest last week on charges that he violated his driver's permit, according to AL.com.

While the suspension may not seem that important, considering Auburn's passing offense ranks 118th in the nation, it's huge when you factor in the circumstances.

Bray has 11 catches for 82 yards this season and is Auburn's second-leading wide receiver behind senior Emory Blake. Bray's 11 catches comprise nearly 41 percent of the receptions made by Auburn's wide receivers this season.

Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

Auburn WR Trovon Reed

So who's going to step up for the Tigers?

Sophomore JaylonDenson is listed behind Bray on Auburn's most recent depth chart, but expect sophomore Trovon Reed and senior Travante Stallworth to become bigger parts of the game plan vs. Arkansas.

Reed only has one catch for 17 yards this season, and has not lived up to the 5-star hype that followed him to the Plains. The 5'10", 185-pounder has the speed to be a big-time weapon, and the door is open for him to waltz on through against the porous Arkansas pass defense.

How many yards will Auburn pass for vs. Arkansas?

0-99100-149150-199200-249250 or moreSubmit Votevote to see results

How many yards will Auburn pass for vs. Arkansas?

0-99

6.2%

100-149

19.7%

150-199

31.7%

200-249

23.2%

250 or more

19.2%

Total votes: 1,493

Stallworth only has one catch on the season as well, but caught 13 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown last season.

Someone has to step up for the Tigers, because if there's anytime to get things going in the right direction, it's against this Arkansas defense.

Quarterback Kiehl Frazier was the recipient of an enormous amount of praise before the season, but some of that work came from his work against air. Arkansas' pass defense is only slightly better than air, so despite Bray's absence, if the Tigers can't get something going this week vs. the Hogs, something's terribly wrong.